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1.13 Working safely out of poverty: Working Out of Poverty

Written by: International Labour Organization

Article Overview: The poorest workers are the least protected. More often than not, prevention of occupational accidents and diseases is missing from the agenda where they work. Hazardous work takes its toll on the health of workers and on productivity. It is unacceptable that the poor must be resigned to facing disproportionate risks to their safety and health because they are poor. South Asian countries are tackling hazards to workers, communities and the environment in the ship-breaking industry, and the ILO is working with them and other international partners to do so. We are showing that improvements can be made in working conditions and the environment in micro and small informal enterprises by low-cost investments that also raise productivity.

1.13 Working safely out of poverty: Working Out of Poverty

The poorest workers are the least protected. More often than not, prevention
of occupational accidents and diseases is missing from the agenda
where they work. Hazardous work takes its toll on the health of workers and
on productivity. It is unacceptable that the poor must be resigned to facing
disproportionate risks to their safety and health because they are poor.
South Asian countries are tackling hazards to workers, communities and the
environment in the ship-breaking industry, and the ILO is working with
them and other international partners to do so. We are showing that improvements
can be made in working conditions and the environment in
micro and small informal enterprises by low-cost investments that also raise
productivity.

For many – and particularly women – their home is their workplace,
and they frequently live and work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. The
ILO has shown that it is possible to introduce changes that make the home a
safer and healthier place to live and work. We develop partnerships with
community organizations to gain access to hard-to-reach workers. We encourage
micro-entrepreneurs to organize, which enables them to articulate
and act upon their occupational safety and health concerns. Empowering
workers and their unions so that they can insist on safe working conditions
is also essential.

The ILO’s experience of working with national and local governments
and employers’ and workers’ organizations in developing countries over
many years has formed and tested a comprehensive portfolio of policy tools
founded on enabling communities to work their way out of poverty. These
experiences and the lessons they provide contribute to a coherent approach
to poverty reduction that connects on-the-ground initiatives with national
and international strategies. But no amount of small, unconnected initiatives
will do away with poverty. Now the challenge is to scale up these experiences
and work together to integrate them fully into national and international
policy. Today, scaling up is the name of the game for all international organizations.
Again, I believe this is an area in which we should all work together.

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Article Tags: coherent approach, community organizations, developing countries, diseases, hazardous work, health concerns, ilo, initiatives, international partners, international strategies, local governments, micro entrepreneurs, occupational accidents, occupational safety and health, partnerships, policy tools, poverty reduction, productivity, south asian countries, working conditions



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